162 Kanokporn Vibulpatanavong
Gilderdale, 2001). When there is no word for something in a culture, it could
mean that the concept is not fully embraced as a part of the culture. Translation
of the word ‘Autism’ using existing words in the language can cause misun-
derstanding and confusion (Corbett and Perepa, 2007). Without the word for
Autism in a language, promoting the understanding of Autism in the culture can
be difficult. However, without labels, it could also be that the culture assimilates
individuals with disabilities into their culture (Wilder, Dyches, Obiakor and
Algozzine, 2004).
In some languages, the English word is adapted for use, such as ‘Autismo’ in
Spanish or Italian (Wilder et al., 2004; Bernier and Gerdts, 2010). Similarly, in
Thailand, there is no Thai word for Autism. The English word ‘autistic’ is used both
as a noun instead of the word ‘Autism’, and as an adjective such as ‘dek autistic’
meaning children with Autism (children autistic). The noun ‘Autism’ is not often
used in the Thai language. According to the Classification and Definition of Persons
with Education Disabilities, announced by the Thai Ministry of Education (2009),
there are Thai words or phrases for the nine types of disabilities except Autism.
Persons with Autism are referred to as ‘Bukkon autistic’ (person autistic). According
to Dobson, Upadhyaya, McNeil, Venkateswaran and Gilderdale (2001), using the
English word and giving the explanation for the concept may cause Autism to be
seen as a foreign concept.
In other languages, there are words for Autism which may have negative conno-
tations. In Japanese, the word for Autism is ‘jihei-sho’, meaning ‘self-closure symp-
tom’ (Suzuki, 2015). While Autism is a neurological impairment, the term may
create misunderstanding that Autism is a psychological disorder similar to depres-
sion (Suzuki, 2015). In the Korean language, the word for Autism is ‘chapae’, which
means being close in on oneself (Grinker, 2004). The term may suggest that the
child was once ‘opened’ but is now ‘closed in’ as a result of trauma, causing blame
on the mother (Grinker, 2004).
The words used for Autism may influence the social perceptions of Autism.
However, it is also possible that the social perceptions of Autism have resulted in the
use of the terms. In writing this chapter, there is no intention to suggest that a Thai
word for Autism needs to be coined, or words for Autism in other languages need
to be changed. However, to promote an understanding of Autism that will promote
social inclusion, careful efforts need to be made in explaining what Autism is and
that Autism can occur in all cultures.
Language is a tool for social communication and social interaction. Inappropriate
use of language can lead to misunderstandings and disapproval which can impede
social inclusion. Different languages pose different challenges for children with
Autism. According to Amaral, Dawson and Geschwind (2011), in the Korean lan-
guage, children with Autism may have difficulties using language to indicate social
ranks. In order to express politeness and respect, honorifics need to be used in every
sentence. A child with Autism may mistakenly speak to an elderly woman in the
way one should speak to a younger sister, or speak to a younger sister in the way
one should speak to an elderly woman (Amaral, Dawson and Geschwind, 2011).